News On Japan

Japanese authorities are fighting against an increasing number of illegal immigrants from China, which is in turn fuelling the drug trade. (Journeyman Pictures)

Japan's wholesale prices rose 2.7 percent in November from a year earlier for the eighth straight month of increase and the biggest gain in five years, as a weaker yen and higher energy prices led to rises in a wide range of items, the Bank of Japan said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

A high school in western Japan has canceled a student exchange program with its U.S. sister city following a disagreement over a memorial dedicated to World War II "comfort women." (Kyodo)

Japan's Nikkei share average declined on Wednesday, which traders attributed to a reduction in investor exposure to risky assets as they waited to see if the U.S. Federal Reserve will taper its stimulus soon. (Reuters)

Japan will strengthen its surveillance capabilities in response to China's growing assertiveness over a territorial dispute by introducing new early-warning aircraft and airborne warning and control systems, an outline of a new medium-term defense program showed Wednesday. (Kyodo)

The Miss International 2013 beauty pageant has begun in Tokyo, Japan, on 7 December. Over 72 contestants will compete with each other for the 53rd Miss International title. (ibtimes.co.in)

Veterinarians in Japan have carried out knee surgery on a rare white tiger cub, fixing a leg problem the animal had been born with. (interaksyon.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Monday announced the arrest of a 36-year-old man for recording photos inside the skirt of a female college student in Setagaya Ward. (Tokyo Reporter)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of a Tokyo man for picking up a teen prostitute he met a specialty massage parlor in Toshima Ward. (Tokyo Reporter)

Japan will set up a new amphibious military unit and deploy unarmed surveillance drones in its southwest, where it faces a row with China over disputed islands, according to drafts of the nation's latest defence plans seen on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Japan's ruling parties will vow to reduce taxes on daily necessities "at a time when the (sales) tax rate is 10 percent" to end political discord over the issue, lawmakers said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Opposition parties criticized Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba's remark on Wednesday that publishing designated state secrets by media organizations would be subject to punishment under the newly enacted state secret protection law. (Jiji Press)

Japanese researchers say eating more fruits and vegetables may cut the risk of suicide in half. (NHK)

A Chiba prefectural policeman has been arrested for repeatedly sending emails to his former girlfriend following their breakup. (Japan Today)

Japanese double Olympic judo gold medallist Masato Uchishiba lost an appeal on Wednesday against a five-year jail sentence for raping a teenage student. (AFP)

Japan is likely to achieve its goal of drawing 10 million foreign travellers in 2013 as government data showed Wednesday that the number of foreign visitors to Japan totalled about 9.5 million between January and November. (Bangkok Post)

Hate speech campaigns have intensified in Japan, causing increased conflict with opponents, the National Police Agency said Wednesday. (Jiji Press)

The number of shoplifting cases accounted for nearly 10 pct of all criminal offenses recognized by Japanese police, with the rate increasing, a National Police Agency survey showed Wednesday. (Jiji Press)

Three major Japanese banks say that they will revamp their ATMs to allow customers with credit cards issued in foreign countries to make yen withdrawals. (NHK)

Japan's Supreme Court has upheld the petition of a female-to-male transgender man to be recorded on the official family registry as the father of a boy born to his wife after the use of semen from a donor, it was learned on Wednesday. (Jiji Press)

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